For the most part, the New York Mets' Opening Day roster is completely set. Positions like right field, backup infielder, and potentially a bullpen spot or two remain up for grabs, but overall, we know most of the 26 players who will go north with the big league team for the regular season opener. This puts immense pressure on non-roster invitees, players who are not currently on the 40-man roster, to have huge spring trainings to show they belong.
Even by playing well, nothing is guaranteed when you aren't on the 40-man roster. While most of the players below are unlikely to make the team, these five non-roster invitees have the best shot of overcoming their short odds and playing their way onto the Opening Day roster.
OF Carson Benge
Easily the most intriguing non-roster invitee is Carson Benge, the Mets' best position player prospect. Benge has just 24 games of Triple-A experience under his belt, yet he's going to be given seemingly every possible opportunity to make the team as the right fielder.
You could argue that the odds are against Benge, an inexperienced 23-year-old who didn't hit much in his only Triple-A stint, to make the team, but while the Mets made major moves to upgrade their roster after how poorly 2025 ended, they did not make much of an effort to address right field. They traded Brandon Nimmo, opening up a corner outfield spot, and the guys competing with Benge include Brett Baty (an infielder), the light-hitting Tyrone Taylor, MJ Melendez and Mike Tauchman.
The options are far from stellar, which tells you what they think of Benge. They won't include him on their Opening Day roster if he has a lackluster spring, but he's going to get every opportunity to prove himself.
OF Mike Tauchman
Mike Tauchman signed a minor-league deal with the Mets just a couple of days ago, and to be honest, I have no idea why he had to settle for a minor league deal. Tauchman has a 108 OPS+ and a .359 OBP over the last three seasons, and he isn't a liability in the field either. He doesn't have much power or speed, but Tauchman gets on base at a high clip, which can prove to be very useful at the bottom of the order in front of the likes of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette.
The Mets are going to give Benge every chance to be the right fielder, and if he wins the job Tauchman probably won't make the team, but if he were to fall short, why shouldn't Tauchman be the next man up? He's hit far more than the likes of Taylor and Melendez and he's more familiar with right field than Baty.
It's on Tauchman to have a strong spring, but if he does, his odds of making the team, even as a non-roster invitee, are probably higher than given credit for.
RHP Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel has a legitimate shot of getting into the Hall of Fame one day, but even Hall of Famers see their play decline. Kimbrel was once the best reliever in the sport and is one of the best relievers in history, but the fact that he had to settle for a minor league deal with the Mets this offseason tells you all you need to know about where he is at age 37.
With that being said, while most of the Mets' bullpen is solidified, Kimbrel has a path to the Opening Day roster if he pitches well this spring for a couple of reasons. First, he pitched fairly well for the Houston Astros down the stretch last season, even if his advanced metrics weren't nearly as strong as his ERA would indicate. Second, it's not as if guys like Huascar Brazoban and Bryan Hudson have strangleholds on bullpen spots.
Brazoban has a minor league option the Mets can use, and he was remarkably inconsistent in 2025. Hudson provides value as a second left-hander the Mets could use with A.J. Minter expected to begin the year on the IL, but he was a waiver claim. It's entirely possible Kimbrel out-pitches him in the spring. Kimbrel has to beat just one of those guys to make the team, and doing so isn't impossible.
LHP Brandon Waddell
Admittedly, Brandon Waddell's odds of stealing an Opening Day roster spot became slimmer on Wednesday when Carlos Mendoza said that Tobias Myers will make the team, whether he's a starter or a reliever. Assuming Myers isn't a starter, he'll presumably be the long reliever, making things more difficult for Waddell to fill that role.
With that being said, Waddell still has a shot because he can provide value. He can eat innings when necessary, is left-handed, and even pitched pretty well for New York last season, posting a 3.45 ERA in 11 appearances and 31.1 innings of work.
Waddell is starting the Mets' first spring training game on Saturday, and if he can pitch well, don't be surprised to see his name in discussions for one of the last couple of bullpen spots.
INF Grae Kessinger
Trading Luisangel Acuña created an opening for a backup infielder to give guys like Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien a day off here and there. Sure, the Mets could deploy a guy like Brett Baty at second base and third base, and Jorge Polanco could even play some at those spots as well, but the lack of a shortstop option beyond Lindor is cause for concern, especially when considering Bichette's underwhelming play at that position. That's where a guy like Grae Kessinger could come in handy.
A player who has gone just 8-for-61 as a big leaguer and went 0-for-21 when last seen in 2024 won't get anyone excited, but Kessinger's role would be to play shortstop in a pinch if needed in a reserve role.
This fact is why he makes more sense than Ronny Mauricio, who is a better and more exciting player than Kessinger. Chances are, the 26th man won't play much, so having a guy like Kessinger occupy that spot instead of a young prospect with upside could be the way the Mets go.
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